Ornamental leather goods



March 25, 1930. J. J. WALSH ORNAMENTAL LEATHER GOODS Filed Dec. 51, 1928 He. J

INVENTOR Jgy/v JA MES Was/v ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 25, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

J'OHN JAMES WALSH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO MILIUS SHOE COMPANY,

' OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, .A COR-BORATION OF MISSOURI ORNAMENTAL LEATHER GOODS Application filed-December 31, 1928. Serial liq. 329,568.

An object of this invention is to achieve a novel method of superposing and interconnecting a plurality of pieces of leather, which may be of different colors, and thereby produce a novel, ornamented article of leather, or

the like.

A further object is a novel method and means which may be employed for obtaining a so-called smocking effect, for the ornamentation of leather goods.

An additional objective is obtained in a method and meansfor producing ornamental designs on leather goods, by the superposition of related, but dissimilarly'formed layers of material.

A still further object is the evolution of ornamental designs, by machine-processing different layers of leather, or the like, and the assembly of-such layers by permanent interlacing.

Further objects, advantages and uses of the present invention will appear from the following detailed description, coordinated wlth the accompanying drawings, in Which:

Fig. 1 is a top or plan view of the complete vamp portionof a shoe, partially ornamented in accordance with the principles of t h1s 1nvention, and illustrating a preferred application thereof; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the outside vamp portion of a shoe, for sewlng nto an assembly as shown in Flg, 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion immedlately underlying the portion shown in Fig. 2; Fig, 4 1s a plan view of a second underlying portion, associated with the assembly; and Flg. 5 1s a section taken along the line 5-5 of Fig, 1.

' According to the preferred practice 1n the production of ornamental designs, for e zample on leather shoes, the invention essentially comprises the use of a portion A, which corresponds to the outer or exposed vamp portion of ordinary footwear; a portlon B, which will hereinafter be designated as the first underlay, and which, by preference, is disposed immediately beneath the portion 1n assembly; a portion C, hereinafterdesignated as the second underlay, and which is, by prefer= ence, disposed just below the portion 3; and one or more portions D, consisting, in the present instance, of narrow strips or thongs of leather. These strips, besides serving an ornamental purpose, hereinafter more fully set forth, have the structural function of securing together and preventing relative displacement of the layers of material B and C. In addition to the four portions referred to, a fabric backing E, which may constitute the usual shoe lining, may be employed and positioned relative to the aforementioned portions in the manner indicated in Fig. 5.

Referring particularly to Fig. 2, the first or uppermost layer of leather in the assembly is outlined,'in the present instance, to form a portion of the vamp of a shoe, and for the particular ornamental purpose, is provided with one or more cutout portions 6, which serve chiefly to determine the conformity of the ornamented portion of the shoe, the particular drawings having reference to ladies novelty footwear.

As indicated above, the portion B, or first underlay, is disposed immediately below the portion A. This portion may be formed, like portion A, of thin flexible leather; it may have substantially the same outline as the portion A and is, by preference, provided on each side with a plurality of rows of slots 8. The slots 8 of each row in the present eX- ample. are arranged mutually parallel, but

are offset ,or staggered with respect to those of the adjacent row. The rows of slots 8 are, by preference, disposed in equal number on each side of the underlay, and symmetrically with respect thereto.

The portion C, constituting the second underlay, may be of the same general configuration or outline as that of the portions A and B and, in the present example, is provided with a plurality of holes or apertures 10, which are disposed in substantial alignment and in rows corresponding in general to the arrangement of the slots in' the member B.

lVhere two or more rows are arranged on the underlay C, the holes of like the slots 8, offset from those of cent row. It will be seen from Fig. 1 that, in assembly, the holes in member C are arranged out of register with the slots 8 in the first underlay B, for a purpose hereinafter appearing.

the adjaadjacent rows are,

. tion, and relatively V For producing the desired ornamental effect, and in addition, to effect a relative securement of the parts B and C, I prefer the use of tlfe narrow strips or thongs of leather 5 referred to above as D. The position and function of the strips D will best be seen from F ig. 5, wherein it appears that the strips, in assenibl are first inserted upwardly through one of t e end holes in the member (0, then 10 upwardly through the adjacent slot 8 in the member B, thence downwardly through the succeeding slot in the member B, and downwardly through the recited hole 10 in the member 0, and in this manner are interlaced through the first and second underlays throughout the superposed rows of holes 10 and slots 8. The same or a different thong D may be interlaced in the same manner in the adjacent row, and through the corresponding rows of slots and holes on the opposite sides,

respectively of the portions B and 0. Upon the application of the desired tension'to the strips D, it will be obvious that the effect thereof is to constrict, or gather the material lying between adjacent slots 8 in the underlay B, and in this manner exposing successive areas of the second underlay C between the.

pleated portions. The resulting ornamental eflect, while differently formed, resembles in appearance certain so-called smocking effects employed on' articles of ladies wear. The degree of constriction or gathering will, of "course, depend somewhat upon the number, size and relative spacing of the holes 10 and slots B, and to a certain extent upon the tension applied in the assembly; to the strips D. In assembling the portions A, B, C and D,

I prefer. to use a waterproof, cementitious substance between the adjacent layers of 40 leather. For this-purpose, a good gradeof rubber cement has been found satisfactory. After interlacing the thongs D, the exposed ends thereof are preferably cemented back to v the under surface of the second underlay C.

As an inner coverin or lining, and if desired, for further sti ening or reinforcement, I may employ the fabric back E, which serves to cover the exposed ends of the thongs, and at thesame time forms a resilient under surfacing, constituting for example, the lining of a shoe, handbag, or the like. i

To complete the assembly of the first layer A, and the first and second underlays B and (3,1 prefer to outline the ornamented porto secure the superposed layers of material y sewing along the dotted lines 12, indicated in Fig. 1. Bypreference, and for the production of the more variegated desi s,. it is preferred .60 that each of the layers B, C and D, as described, be made of leather of a different color. It will be seen that the-described assembly results in a leasing design in which as many different co ors can be caused to appear,"as there are superposed layers or portions, in the assembly; and it will further appear that the number of colors and variety C of the present assembly are formed of the same width or diameter as the strip D, whereby any tendenc toward shifting or lateral displacement o the portions B, C and D is obviated. It thus clearly appears that the recited holes and slots together with the thongs or strips D, serve not only an ornamental, but a structural function as well.

It will be understood that this invention.

has been described solely by way of-a statutory example, dealing with a particular application to the orname tation of ladies novelty footwear. It will appear at once to those skilled in the art, that the particular design illustrated and described is susceptible of manifold modifications, and further that the 7 described ornamental means and method may equally well be applied to the trimmings and quarters of footwear, as well as to the vamp.

portion thereof, and that the invention is equally applicable, not only to shoes, but to purses, bags, belts, gloves, and leather novelty goods in general, without departing -disclosure.

' What I claim is:

I 1. A11 ornamental flexible product of superposed .layers, including a gathering layer and a gathered layer, the gathered layerhaving passages therethrough, the gathermg from'the spirit and full intendment'ofthe layer having portions extending through thepassages and serving to shape the passages by gathering the material therebetween.

2. An ornamental flexible material formed of superposed layers, one of said layers being provided with passages for a shaping elev ment, and means formed bystrip. portions of other of said layers extending through, and ornamentally shaping saidpassages and the material therebetween..

3. In an ornamental flexible material formed of layers, combined athering and securing means for one of sald layers, said means including strip portions of another of said layers, dlsposed ininterlaced relation with the gathering layer.

4. An article of manufacture including a plurality of layers of leather, certain of the layers having apertures therein, and portions of one of'said layers being interlaced with'a plurality of the other layers,'whereby to expose' portions of the surface of one of said layers through openings in another of said layers.

5. An article of manufacture formed of superposed layers of leather, some of the layers having openings therethrough and another of said layers having a portion extending through the openings and gathering portions of one of said layers.

6. An article of manufacture formed of superposed layers of leather, some of the layers having openings therethrough and another of said layers having a portion extending through the openings and gathering portions of one of said layers between the apertures in that layer.

7 An article of manufacture including at least three layers of leather, two of said layers having openings therethrough and a portion of the remaininglayerextendingthrough and coacting with certain of said openings to expose a predetermined area of each of the layers.

8. An article of manufacture including a laminated structure of leath r, certain of the layers having non-register' g apertures; a

lacing member associated therewith and adapted to expand ghe apertures in one layer to make visible p rtions of another layer.

9. In a laminated product including a flexible layer of leather superposed upon an underlying layer having openings therethrough, a lacing member extending throu h said openings and gathering portions of said flexible layer to expose portions of said underlying layer 10. In an ornamental flexible material formed of layers of leather, a layer having gathered po'rtions and apertures therebetween, a second layer exposed by said apertures, and means coacting with said second layer, for relatively securing all of said layers. 7 p 11. A laminated leather product including a layer having slots therethrough; a perforated layer related to said slotted layer with certain perforations between pairs of slots; a securing strip looped through a perforation, and'the lo'op portion engaging the material between adjacent slots.

.12. The herein described method of ornamenting leather goods, which consists in superposinglayers of leather, in perforating certain of said layers, in displacing portions of a perforated layer by extending portions of another of said layers through the perforations, and in relatively securing said layers by said last named layer.

JOHN JAMES WALSH. 

